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Tinylife to be Mayor's official charity

MAYOR TO HELP PREMATURE BABY GROUP
Valerie Cromie, Lisburn Mayor Allan Ewart, Deirdre Brady and Samara Prentice of Tiny Life launching the Mayors Charity Tiny Life. US2809-112A0 Picture By: Aidan O'Reilly

TINYLIFE, the local premature baby support group, has been chosen as this year's Official Mayor's Charity in Lisburn.

Launching his campaign to support the charity this week the Mayor, Councillor Allan Ewart, said as a family man he had decided to raise funds for TinyLife after hearing about their wonderful work.

He said: "I believe it is important to support local Northern Ireland charities and the work of TinyLife is something that many of us can identify with, if not directly then through family and friends. TinyLife is Northern Ireland's premature and vulnerable baby charity, dedicated to reducing premature birth, illness, disability and death in babies born here.

"Their services have provided support to premature babies and their parents for over 21 years. Last year alone there were over 1,800 babies born prematurely in Northern Ireland so TinyLife needs the help of the residents of Lisburn City more than ever."

Formerly known as NIMBA (Northern Ireland Mother and Baby Action), TinyLife funds medical research into the causes of premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage and provides information to professionals and parents-to-be to ensure that every pregnancy has the best chance of a healthy outcome and a healthy baby.

TinyLife also offers practical and emotional support to ensure that parents of premature and ill babies get all the help they need.

Speaking at the launch Mrs Deirdre Brady, Chief Executive of TinyLife said: We are thrilled to have been chosen as the Mayor's Charity for the forthcoming year. Corporate partnerships are important to a small charity like TinyLife and securing such support is even more special this year, as we will be celebrating 21 years of supporting premature and vulnerable babies in Northern Ireland. Over the past 21 years we supported many families in the City of Lisburn and through our family support and breast pump loan programmes we continue to do so. We look forward to a year full of exciting opportunities."

Mr Ewart said he would be working to raise awareness about TinyLife and his office will undertake a number of fundraising activities during the year to raise much-needed funds.

The Mayor's Office is very interested to hear about initiatives from the local community that will help to raise funds for this worthy cause. To co-ordinate activities please contact the Mayor's Office on 9250 9331.

Ulster Star
10/07/2009